Guide to Guten Cabin Winter Parking
So far it has been a fairly mild winter for Leavenworth, but that can change quickly. When inclement weather arrives, a frequent question we get is regarding parking. A challenge that many mountain cabin owners face is that mountains are sloped and often, so are mountain cabin driveways. Our original driveway entry was from Salal Drive. Over the years it has eroded and become quite steep. During the winter it is unusable. Years ago, a lower driveway entrance was forged connecting to Chiwawa Loop Road. Last summer, the stretch of Chiwawa Loop in front of the cabin was widened and resurfaced. Since then we have reworked our driveway and opened up new parking options. As a side note, next year our address will be changing to Chiwawa and that will become our sole entry and exit.
If you are using GPS, it will take you to the upper entrance along Salal Drive. However, the easier way to enter is from Chiwawa Loop road. To find it, if you are heading SE from Hwy 2 and Cole’s Corner, you will eventually turn left to enter the drive from Chiwawa Loop. After you pass Sumac Lane we will be the first driveway on the left. There is a black & white Guten Cabin sign on the evergreen tree just past the entrance.
If you are coming from the opposite direction, headed NW towards Lake Wenatchee and Hwy 2, we will be the first driveway on the right past Pine Tree Road. You won’t be able to easily see the sign coming from this direction.
While you are welcome to park where ever you best see fit, I have put together a visual guide to give you our suggestions. In short, avoid the Salal entrance if it is even a little icy. If it is more than a little icy, I also avoid the parking spots in the upper area and stick to the lower spots. Using state of the art satellite technology, we are able to remove the tree canopy and zoom in to this overview image of the property:
Using advanced topographical software I have identified and labeled the best parking spots.
All kidding aside, this should at least give you a general idea on how to best park any time of the year.
One more note, a snow blower clears the drive when there is snow accumulations, but it doesn’t remove the layer of compacted snow and ice. 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive is recommend when it is icy. Not just for our driveway, but for the Leavenworth area.
Safe travels and smooth parking!
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